It's Ox's board. He built it from scratch, planned and worked tirelessly, delegated technical tasks to talented people. And continued to add bells and whistles as the years went by. For a bullpen board -- one driven mainly by banter and camaraderie and Mom jokes -- I see it as a great source of entertainment. Information? We've got some smart and connected people. I think it's underutilized. That's the area that should be expanded, improved and behind a wall. Not the bullpen.
Most UF fans with an online presence, and to a lesser but no less important degree devoted SEC football fans, know of Chatter by now. The fishbowl aspect makes it an important and accessible gauge of fan temperature. You always know Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and FSU fans are looking in from outside. Occasionally they'll make an appearance. That open aspect will be lost if the bullpen is closed. My advice is simply don't do it. The regular regulars are still going to pay the $60 for the right to post in the pen.
I approached Ox a week ago yesterday about going subscription, bringing in true premium content, giving the place more of a sense of exclusivity while maintaining the bullpen feel. He thought the timing was "terrible" but acknowledged he had toyed with the idea for some time. We left it at that.
Two days later, after a clash of views in the Utah game thread, the idea was suddenly in play. Maybe he's frustrated or just feeling worn out as many of us are after 14 years of ineptitude and growing apathy. Maybe he's both. I can't blame him, even if the initial announcement did come off sounding like the weaponization of fees. Napier may be our last realistic hope at restoring the pride. Last week was an awful start to the season.
This is where I go to shoot the shyt about my Gators. Sixty bucks? Not an issue. I will happily pay and continue to visit even I have to log in for the latest Mom joke. *sigh*